Handheld computers and other handheld electronic devices are very popular. These devices are held in the palm of the hand and typically run applications that store calendar and contact information, access the Internet or wireless telephone systems, or do word processing and the like. Such applications require the entry of numbers and text into the device.
Handheld electronic devices typically include a small keyboard for entering numbers and text. The keyboard has miniaturized keys laid out in a standard QWERTY arrangement. “QWERTY” refers to the most commonly used arrangement of keys on a keyboard and is named after the arrangement of letters in the left-hand corner of the keyboard. Because of their small size, the keys require “hunt and peck” typing with a single finger or a stylus. In either case, touch typing is impossible and data input is slow and tedious.
Some handheld devices include keyboards which eliminate keys to reduce size. Such keyboards require a “chording” system wherein two or more keys must be simultaneously pressed to generate keystrokes for the eliminated keys. Chording systems also do not enable touch typing and data input is slow.
Folding keyboards for handheld devices are also known. These keyboards open to form a full-sized keyboard similar to conventional keyboards used with desktop computers. Although these keyboards do allow touch typing, the keyboard must be supported on a flat work surface or table during use.
To meet the need for improved portable keyboards, my U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,370,018 and 6,392,870 (each of which is fully incorporated by reference herein) disclose portable keyboards that enable touch typing with both hands without external support. The '870 patent discloses one such portable keyboard that can be used in two different keyboard configurations for desktop touch typing or for hand-held touch typing. Two keypads are placed on opposite sides of the keyboard or adjacent each other to form the two keyboard configurations.
Although my portable keyboards are easy to use and provides many advantages, it is desirable to further increase user flexibility and provide more typing options. When hand-held, my keyboards are intended for two-hand touch typing. It is desired to offer the option of a hand-held keyboard that can also offer a full QWERTY keyboard for one-hand typing.